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Winter TV Preview New Shows
Kim of Queens Debuts: Wednesday, January 1 at 10 PM ET on Lifetime What Is It? Beauty pageant coach Kim Gravel scopes out possible contestants and primps and primes them to be winners in this new reality show. Should You Watch? It's certainly less creepy than Toddlers & Tiaras, but you should still invest your precious television time elsewhere.
The Assets Debuts: Thursday, January 2 at 10 PM ET on ABC What Is It? Based on the book real-life events from the book Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed, this eight-part miniseries follows the story of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker) and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille (Harriet Walter) finding notorious mole Aldrich Ames (Paul Rhys) in 1985. Should You Watch? This is a fascinating piece of history that's wisely told as a miniseries (it's all it needs, really), so it's definitely worth your time.
Wolf Watch Debuts: Monday, January 6 at 11 PM ET on MTV What Is It? Taking cues from AMC and post-show talk shows like Talking Dead, MTV is getting in on the act with this Teen Wolf discussion series hosted by Jill Wagner. Should You Watch? Only if you watch Teen Wolf… otherwise why in the world would you?
Intelligence Debuts: Tuesday, January 7 at 9 PM ET on CBS What Is It? Lost star Josh Holloway plays a high-tech intelligence operative who has a computer chip implanted in his head, allowing him access to Internet, telephone and satellite data. His ability to hack into any database proves to make him an asset in fighting American enemies. The high-tech procedural also stars Marg Helgenberger and Meghan Ory. Should You Watch? A few years ago this would have seemed like an innovative idea, but between inventions like Google Glass and the fact that we're all on the Internet… oh, all the time, this doesn't seem all that thrilling. Pass.
Being Mary Jane Debuts: Tuesday, January 7 at 10 PM ET on BET What Is It? From the successful TV movie of the same name, Gabrielle Union plays Mary Jane Paul, a popular TV news anchor balancing her career and personal life. Should You Watch? Union is always great, and, hey, even if the show isn't very good it will still be infinitely better than The Newsroom. Give it a few episodes, for sure.
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Killer Women Debuts: Tuesday, January 7 at 10 PM ET on ABC What Is It? Molly, Texas Ranger, more or less. Tricia Helfer plays Molly, a no-nonsense Texas ranger who must deal with sexism on the force, all while trying to get through her own divorce. Should You Watch? If tough, sassy ladies not takin' any guff rev your engines, this show (from executive producer Sofia Vergara) should be right up your alley, pardner. We'll be tuning in for the pilot to see if the show has enough brains to match its brass.
Chicago PD Debuts: Wednesday, January 8 at 10 PM ET on NBC What Is It? A police drama that follows the brave men and women who protect and serve in Chicago's District 21. Should You Watch? Sure, it's another police procedural, but this one is from Law & Order's Dick Wolf -- a guy who knows what he's doing when it comes to these things -- so it's certainly worth checking out.
The Spoils of Babylon Debuts: Thursday, January 9 at 10 PM ET on IFC What Is It? Will Ferrell plays a famed fictitious author named Eric Jonrosh whose saga The Spoils of Babylon follows the lives of wealthy oil tycoon family the Morehouses over the span of many years. The Morehouse clan is played by, among others, Kristen Wiig, Tim Robbins, Tobey Maguire and Haley Joel Osment. Should You Watch? Yep. This six-episode Funny or Die production looks downright absurd… in the best way possible.
Enlisted Debuts: Friday, January 10 at 9:30 PM ET on Fox What Is It? Three brothers (played by Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell and Randy Hill) must learn to live and work together at the same Army base in Florida. Should You Watch? It probably won't be the next M.A.S.H., but it could be worth a go. Then again, considering the fact that it's been deployed to the no man's land of Friday night programming, maybe it's best not to get invested at all.
Helix Debuts: Friday, January 10 at 10 PM ET on Syfy What Is It? A team of scientists lead by Dr. Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell) at the Centers for Disease Control travel to the Arctic to research and investigate a possible disease outbreak. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and the team find themselves in some seriously dangerous territory. Should You Watch? You mean Contagion on Ice? Maybe if they had turned this into a miniseries or a TV movie, but we can't help but wonder how sustainable it will be.
True Detective Debuts: Sunday, January 12 at 9 PM ET on HBO What Is It? An eight-part drama that chronicles two detectives (played by Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey) over the course of 17 years as they hunt a serial killer in Louisiana. Should You Watch? Yes. 100%. Do not miss this. This is not only an inventive new take on the serialized police drama genre, but it stars two actors currently at the top of their game.
Don't Trust Andrew Mayne Debuts: Monday, January 13 at 10 PM ET on A&E What Is It? Magician Andrew Mayne helps people get "revenge" on people they've been spurned by with his illusions and trickery. He teaches "lessons" by making these alleged wrong-doers think their phones have been destroyed or their cars have disappeared, among other fake-outs. Should You Watch? Magic specials have their appeal, no doubt, but watching people get punked by magic for weeks on end just seems grating. Don't trust the magicians on A&E.
Bitten Debuts: Monday, January 13 at 10 PM ET on Syfy What Is It? Move over, Teen Wolf, now there's Lady Wolf! Based on Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld novels, Bitten follows the world's only female werewolf Elena Michaels (played by Laura Vandervoort) as she leaves her Pack to try out life in the big city. Should You Watch? Between Teen Wolf and the Twilight saga, we're honestly a little werewolf-ed out at this point, but we should all support something that flips the script on traditional gender roles in entertainment. Take a bite out of the first few episodes at least.
Chozen Debuts: Monday, January 13 at 10:30 PM ET on FX What Is It? A gay, white rapper named Chozen is recently released from prison and wants to use his recent experience to claim his spot as the world's top hip hop artist. Featuring the voice work of Bobby Moynihan, Method Man, Nick Swardson, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Pena and Hannibal Buress, Chozen's music turns the tables on the misogynistic rap that often dominates the industry. Should You Watch? Definitely, this concept sounds as fresh as Chozen's rhymes.
Under the Gunn Debuts: Thursday, January 16 at 9 PM ET on Lifetime What Is It? The best thing about Project Runway, Tim Gunn, gets his own fashion competition series on Lifetime. Gunn hosts the show, in which former Project Runway contestants Mondo Guerra, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Nick Verreos manage their burgeoning fashion empires with a team of their own designers to guide. Gunn will act as host and mentor. Should You Watch? Are you kidding? Of course you should. You can never have enough Tim Gunn in your life.
HitRECORD on TV! Debuts: Saturday, January 18 at 10 PM ET on Pivot What Is It? Joseph Gordon-Levitt's passion project HitRECORD hits the small screen in this inventive, collaborative half-hour variety shows which features everything from short films to animation to musical performances from artists all over. Should You Watch? If you can find Pivot on your television dial, it's worth checking out for a few episodes.
Rich Kids of Beverly Hills Debuts: Sunday, January 19 at 10 PM ET on E! What Is It? Bratty, spoiled, out-of-touch twenty-somethings show off their tremendous wealth (well… their parents tremendous wealth) for the cameras. Should You Watch? A word these entitled monsters have never heard in their lives: NO.
Looking Debuts: Sunday, January 19 at 10:30 PM ET on HBO What Is It? Looking follows three gay men (played by Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett) as they try to find their way through work, sex, love and life in San Francisco. Should You Watch? Yep, this daring new series is definitely worth a look.
Opposite Worlds Debuts: Tuesday, January 22 at 10 PM ET on Syfy What Is It? This is a new (albeit, sorta confusing) breed of reality competition series in which 14 people face off in opposing teams separated in a house that's divided by the past and the future. The series runs over the course of six weeks (including one live episode per week) and viewers will be asked to participate in weekly challenges, as well as determine the fate of the winner. Should You Watch? If you can figure out just what the hell this show is about, by all means.
Broad City Debuts: Tuesday, January 22 at 10:30 PM ET on Comedy Central What Is It? UCB alums Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson play two gal pals navigating their way through New York City in their twenties. Should You Watch? It has Amy Poehler's seal of approval (she's an executive producer on the series), so what more incentive do you need to watch?
Rake Debuts: Wednesday, January 23 at 9 PM ET on Fox What Is It? Based on the Australian show of the same name, Rake follows Keegan Deane (played by Greg Kinnear here in the U.S. of A), a messy human disaster area who also happens to be a criminal defense lawyer. Should You Watch? American-remade imports are always hit-or-miss, but anything starring Greg Kinnear should be given a shot.
The Capones Debuts: Tuesday, January 28 at 10 PM ET on Reelz What Is It? Descendants of notorious mobster Al Capone run an Italian restaurant in Chicago in this new reality series. Should You Watch? Fuhgettaboutit. No really -- forget this thing even exists.
Star-Crossed Debuts: Monday, February 17 at 8 PM ET on The CW What Is It? Human Emery (Aimee Teegarden) and alien Roman (Matt Lanter) may be from different planets, but their lifelong bond and eventual romance is something out of this world. (Sorry.) Should You Watch? Lanter and Teegarden are appealing leads, even if the plot is ridiculous. It's worth watching to see if their chemistry can withstand the silly concept.
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Debuts: Monday, February 17 at 11:35 PM ET on NBC What Is It? Barring Jay Leno changing his mind again and pulling a fast one on Jimmy Fallon a la Conan O'Brien, Fallon will take over as the sixth host of The Tonight Show (if you're counting Jay twice). Should You Watch? Fallon may more or less have the same interviewing skills as current host Leno (that is to say, very giggly with no hard-hitting questions), but he's got him beat in just about every other facet of late night TV. Fallon's band (The Roots) rocks, his comedy bits go viral, and he gets his guests to play along with his antics. You should definitely watch, because for the first time since Conan took over, The Tonight Show will be fun again.
Late Night with Seth Meyers Debuts: Monday, February 24 at 12:35 AM ET on NBC What Is It? Fallon out, Meyers in. Just like they did at the Weekend Update desk on Saturday Night Live, Fallon will pass the torch to Meyers on Late Night. Should You Watch? Late Night has always been an edgier place to try out comedy, so you'll definitely want to see how Meyers fares in that environment. Plus, you never know… Stefon just might stop by to see his favorite guy!
Mixology Debuts: Wednesday, February 26 at 9:30 PM ET on ABC What Is It? Perhaps the most high-concept comedy since How I Met Your Mother, Mixologyfollows ten people over the course of one night in a bar. Each episode will follow a different person, all leading up to the season finale that lets us know where these characters wound up at the end of said night. Should You Watch? It's a fascinating concept, but a limiting one. Is there a new cast come Season 2? Or does it just catch up with them the morning after? Ah, we're getting ahead of ourselves… we'll watch Season 1 and you should give it a shot, too.
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Review with Forrest MacNeil Debuts: Thursday, February 27 at 10 PM ET on Comedy Central What Is It? Based on the Australian series Review with Myles Barlow, comedian Andrew Daly plays Forrest MacNeil, a television host who reviews real-life matters rather than art. Should You Watch? It's a clever take on talk shows that's definitely worth a try.
The Red Road Debuts: Date TBD on the Sundance Channel What Is It? A New Jersey cop and family man (Martin Henderson) who deals with two clashing communities: his small hometown and the neighboring Native American tribe. After a shocking tragedy is covered up, he joins forces with a member of the tribe (played by Jason Momoa). The drama also stars Julianne Nicholson, Lisa Bonet and Tom Sizemore. Should You Watch? Between Top of the Lake and Rectify, the Sundance Channel is quickly turning into an AMC-level cable network. The Red Road looks like another can't miss series.
Sirens Debuts: Thursday, March 6 at 10 PM ET on USA What Is It? A single-camera comedy based on the U.K. of the same name has been adapted for American audiences by Denis Leary (Rescue Me) and Bob Fisher (Traffic Light). The show follows three wacky, but talented Chicago EMTs (played by Kevin Bigley, Kevin Daneils and Michael Mosley) on the job. Should You Watch? Leary wouldn't take on this project if he didn't believe in it, so we say give it a go.
Resurrection Debuts: Sunday, March 9 at 9 PM ET on ABC What Is It? The residents of Arcadia, Missouri have their lives turned upside down when their deceased loved ones begin to return and mysteries regarding their deaths -- and their resurrections -- come to light. Should You Watch? We'll give it a try, but in the meantime you should really watch the similarly-themed French series The Returned (not to be confused with the book Resurrection is actually based on, also called The Returned).
Mind Games Debuts: Monday, March 10 at 10 PM ET on ABC What Is It? The Edwards brothers (Steve Zahn and Christian Slater) are partners at an agency that solves their clients' problems using psychological manipulation. Mind games, if you will! Oh, and one of them happens to be a con man, while the other has struggles with bi-polar disorder. Should You Watch? You should usually watch anything with Steve Zahn, but this one sounds like a hard pass.
The 100 Debuts: Wednesday, March 19 at 9 PM ET on The CW What Is It? After a nuclear Armageddon made life on Earth inhabitable, the remaining humans move to space. Nearly a hundred years later, a group of 100 juvenile exiles are sent back down to Earth for a secret mission to see if humans can live there again. Should You Watch? Sorry, but After Earth turned us off to anything even remotely like this latest sci-fi effort. Save yourself and skip.
Friends with Better Lives Debuts: Monday, March 31 at 9 PM ET on CBS What Is It? Six friends all at different stages of their lives (married, single, divorced, engaged, etc.) all wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. Should You Watch? This is more or less the same premise as Friends. In fact, they are calling it Friends and just tacking on a few extra words at the end. Nice try, CBS! That said, the cast (including James Van Der Beek and Brooklyn Decker) definitely has our attention.
TripTank Debuts: Wednesday, April 2 at 10:30 PM ET on Comedy Central What Is It? It's a series of trippy animated shorts that are voiced by the likes of Larry David, Zach Galifianakis and Bob Odenkirk, among others. Should You Watch? If you are in the right mindset, sure, otherwise this is going to feel like a bad acid trip.
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